Fecal Pellet Collection SOP

Feces: Fecal pellets for PCR evaluation should be collected with clean gloves or sterile forceps and placed in individually labeled sterile tubes.

If testing individual mice/rats, submit fecal pellets from each animal. Two to three pellets per animal are adequate.

If multiple animals of the same microbiologic status are being evaluated, up to 10 fecal pellets can be pooled and tested as one sample. If collecting fecal pellets from multiple animals, gloves should be changed and forceps replaced between animals to prevent cross-contamination. Alternatively, forceps can be wiped clean and immersed in diluted bleach (10%) solution for 10 minutes prior to reuse.

Fecal samples are stable and can be held at room temperature if packaged the same day for shipping or stored in the refrigerator until ready to send. For long-term storage, samples can be frozen.

Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs.

Oral Swab Sample Collection SOP for PCR Testing / Advantage

Oral Swab: Restrain the mouse/rat with one hand so that the head is not able to move from side to side. Insert the oral swab starting at the corner of the mouth to encourage the animal to open its mouth. Slowly twirl the swab to collect the sample.

Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube, and the tube can be capped.

Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs. 

Fur Mite Sample Collection SOP

Following are two sample options for testing of mice and rats for fur mites.

Pelt Swab: Using a sterile, dry flocked swab, thoroughly swab the fur against the direction of the hair coat of the animal. It is important to swab around the face, back, tail base, and belly for the best results. Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube, and the tube can be capped.

Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs.

Cage Swab: Using a sterile, dry flocked swab, thoroughly swab the inside perimeter at the level of the bedding of the empty, soiled cage. Up to 10 cages can be swabbed using the same swab. Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube and the tube can be capped.

Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs.

Sample Submission Guidelines for Environmental Monitoring Exhaust Air Dust Collection Devices

In an effort to decrease the use of sentinel animals and increase the diagnostic sensitivity of monitoring rodent colonies for infectious agents, centralized whole rack level monitoring is being used as an adjunct to or a replacement for the use of soiled bedding sentinels. IDEXX BioAnalytics has a full suite of diagnostic real-time PCR assays based on the proprietary IDEXX BioAnalytics platform to provide testing for all of your environmental samples.

1. Exhaust air debris collection filters, membranes, or matrices measuring up to 6 cm x 9.5 cm can be placed lengthwise in a 50 ml conical tube.

a. For matrices suspended in the exhaust air stream, the upward facing side of the matrix should face the center of the collection tube.

b. For thin filters placed perpendicular to the air stream, the side of the filter facing the airflow should face the center of the collection tube.

2. Swabs of plenums, prefilters, dust, or other surfaces can be placed in a 2 ml microcentrifuge tube and the swab head either snapped or cut so that only the swab head is in the tube. Collect as much debris/dust as the swab will hold from the dirtiest portion of the surfaces being swabbed.

3. A 200 ul amount of exhaust air dust may be collected and placed directly in a 2.0 ml microcentrifuge tube for testing.